Republican candidate Wayne Liebnitzky, left, is running against Democratic incumbent Rep. Darren Soto, right, to represent Florida's 9th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. The general election is on November 6, 2018. (Wayne Liebnitzky campaign site / Rep. Darren Soto website)

After prevailing in a Democratic primary that turned personal at times, incumbent Rep. Darren Soto will now face off against Republican Wayne Liebnitzky to represent Florida’s 9th Congressional District.

Again.

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In 2016, Soto beat Liebnitzky by 15 points, making history as the first Puerto Rican from Florida elected to theU.S. Congress.

Florida’s Ninth Congressional District includesall of Osceola County and parts of Orange and Polk counties, a Central Florida region that is increasingly Hispanic, including a largePuerto Rican population.

Over 35 percent of the district’s voters identify as Hispanic, according to data from the Florida’s Division of Elections from July 2018 — a slight uptick from the 33 percent registered during the same time in 2016.

Voters in the district are mostly registered Democrats — nearly 40 percent — with about 26 percent who identify as Republicans. A third of voters in the area are not affiliated with a political party.

Here’s where the candidates stand on the issues:

Who they are

Soto, 40, was born and raised in New Jersey. His family moved to Central Florida in 1996. Soto graduated from Rutgers University and later attended George Washington University School of Law. He was elected to Florida State Legislature in 2007, where he served for almost 10 years. In 2016, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for his first term.

Wayne Liebnitzky, 61, isalso a New Jersey native butwas raised in Florida and has lived in the Central Florida region for 26 years. He graduated from the University of Central Florida where he studied business and engineering. He is a U.S. Navy veteran and runs a Mac Tools franchise in St. Cloud.

Where they stand

The Republican candidate, who did not face a primary opponent, is passionate about issues facing militaryveterans. From health care for disabled veterans to investing more money into the military, he wants to “defend and fight for those who can’t defend themselves.”

Asked why he decided to run again, Liebnitzky said he entered the race because “the only time when people think about helping seniors is election season.”

Liebnitzky also wants to lower health caredeductibles, which he saidhave gone up due to the Affordable Care Act.

Soto wants to prioritize bringing higher paying jobs to Central Florida and has previously supported efforts to fund research and science programs in neighborhoods like Lake Nona.

In a region starved for affordable housing — an issue exacerbated by the influx of Hurricane Maria survivors who have fled to Central Florida — Soto said he wants to expand community housing projects and rental assistance programs, particularly for low-income families throughout Osceola.

On education, Soto said hedoesn’t support expanding private and charter schools in Central Florida. “I wouldn’t get rid of them, but I wouldn’t expand them,” he said.

Liebnitzky said he believes in expanding trade schools to create alternative opportunities for people who don’t want to pursue a college education.

Soto has led legislative efforts in Congress to extend temporary housing programs for displaced Puerto Rican families in Florida and pushed for access of federal loans for Puerto Rican farmers on the island. Both candidates support statehood for the island.

How they differ

Liebnitzky said he wants to “push the needle a little bit to the right” in the district.

At a candidate forum in July, the Republican said he supported President Donald Trump’s proposal for a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico. He also supports the work of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, which some Democrats have called to abolish.

“Congress has not done their job and yet they’re calling for an agency to be liquidated because they’re doing their job,” he said. “I find that ironic.”

Soto said hebelieves in “border awareness” and reforming ICE,rather than eliminating the agency or building a wall.Soto supports a pathway to citizenship for young people whose parents entered the U.S. illegally, known as Dreamers.

Soto also supports a $15 minimum wage, something his opponent said isn’t a feasible proposal for “mom and pop shops.”